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Friday, January 20th, 2017, our country will inaugurate a new president. While in every election some are pleased and some are displeased with the process and results of our elections, our country is unique in its 240 year history of a peaceful transition of power. We are indeed a fortunate nation. Share a history of the presidential swearing-in ceremony with the children old enough to grasp its significance.

Attending an outstanding theater production of classic stories is a great way to theatrical entertainment for each of the next three weekends. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!" by All About Theatre; "Into the Woods"by Mount Madonna School's high school students; and "Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories" by California Theatre all promise to enchant us! Rehearsal for the Into the Woods cast was captured.

As we've all become sensitized to the advantages and ramifications of raising our children in the information age we strive to strike a balance in guiding our children's internet usage. Suki shares how she manages.

Please share our newsletter with new friends so they won't miss a few tidbits of wisdom from our author contributors, and as always our many fun events!

Have a dramatic weekend, Parmalee

Image: Mount Madonna Rehearsal

The Stories We Tell Our Children: "Into the Woods - Jan 28 & 29

"Careful the things you say/Children will listen/Careful the things you do/Children will see and learn/Children may not obey, but children will listen/Children will look to you for which way to turn..." [lyrics from the "Children Will Listen," by Stephen Sondheim, Into The Woods]

Join Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Granny, the Wolf, and Jack from the beanstalk to travel Into the Woods, for an irreverent fairy tale that offers a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.

Packed with humor, memorable melodies and witty lyrics, Into The Woods combines several well-known fairy tales with an original story of a childless baker and his wife, who initiate the story's action by trying to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child. Within this colorful narrative, several important themes emerge, says Sampad Kachuck, Mount Madonna School (MMS) performing arts director.

"Certainly the "messaging' of a show and the themes that emerge are important considerations in our selecting each of the musicals we perform," Kachuck explained. "With Into The Woods, for instance, the characters serve to remind us that there are consequences to our actions, not only for ourselves, but for others as well; and that everybody makes mistakes. The question is, do we learn from them?

"While these characters feel justified in the choices they make, as a means of getting what they want, many discover there is a price to pay when their desired outcome has negative impact on themselves and those around them."

On January 28-29, MMS will present its high school production of Into The Woods for two shows at the Hawks' Nest Theater (445 Summit Road, Mount Madonna). Performances are at 7:00pm on Saturday, January 28, and 2:00pm on Sunday, January 29. Tickets on sale now. Adults are $16; 18 and under are $11. All seats are reserved.

Music and lyrics for the show - which had a successful Broadway debut in 1987 - were written by American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. The show is based on a book by James Lapine, who also directed the original Broadway production. Orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick. Into The Woods is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! - Jan 20 & 21

Playing at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz January 20 & 21, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is not to be missed!!

Take a fantastic musical adventure with an out-of-this-world car that flies through the air and sails the seas. Based on the beloved 1968 film version of Ian Fleming's children's book, and featuring an unforgettable score by the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one family-friendly blockbuster that audiences will find "Truly Scrumptious."

An eccentric inventor, Caractacus Potts sets about restoring an old race car from a scrap heap with the help of his children, Jeremy and Jemima. They soon discover the car has magical properties, including the ability to float and take flight. Trouble occurs when the evil Baron Bomburst desires the magic car for himself. The family joins forces with Truly Scrumptious and batty Grandpa Potts to outwit the dastardly Baron and Baroness and their villainous henchman, the Child Catcher.

Filled with amazing stage spectacle and unforgettable songs, including the Academy Award-nominated title song, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a high-flying, fun-filled adventure for the entire family. The large cast and opportunities for true stage magic make this a challenging, but highly rewarding, show for any organization looking to bring a large-scale production with great name recognition to their theatre.

Be fascinated by the brilliant language and the colorful characters in these classic stories by Rudyard Kipling, originally told to his own children over a century ago. These clever explanations of how things came to exist in the world come to life on stage in these four tales of timeless appeal: The Cat That Walked By Himself, How the Camel Got His Hump, How the Whale Got His Throat and How the First Letter Was Written.

"Children are taught to gossip by you-know-who. Remember the old saying that great minds discuss ideas, mediocre minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people? Make every effort to help your children acquire great minds."

Suki: Our Approach to Internet Safety

My older child takes part in open source projects, posts on forums about topics he's interested in, and uses the Internet daily in his education, his leadership/service projects, and his social life. He's now almost 18, but he's been online for many years, starting in the Scratch community at the age of 9.

My younger child is an active Youtuber. He loves Instagram. He chats with friends he's never met in person. He loves to share his creative work, and he takes part in conversations about topics that interest him.

I think that overall taking part in creative communities and finding people to share interests online is an extremely positive experience for most kids. They get direct feedback on their work, and get to feel like they are taking part in a larger creative conversation. I definitely feel that parents who keep their kids off the Internet are being too cautious, sort of like not letting them travel to a nearby city by automobile because it's more dangerous than walking. The benefits are so great it's worth taking some risks.

However - the big however - I also think it's really important for parents to be aware and to educate their children. Kids are growing up as digital natives, and this is all within "normal" for them. So we adults run the risk of sounding like reactionary old fogies when we talk to our kids.

Lots of parents are confused about whether they should allow their kids to share online, and how they should do it. Ours is an imperfect system, of course (all family systems are). But I'm offering it up as an example for others to consider. Read more>>>

What They Wore
State Park MissionDate: 01/13/2018 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm Details: What the clothing meant to the people who wore itSpecial Instructions: at the end of School Street off the Santa Cruz Mission PlazaCity: Santa Cruz Phone: (831) 425-5849 view all details >>

What They Wore
State Park MissionDate: 01/13/2018 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm Details: What the clothing meant to the people who wore itSpecial Instructions: at the end of School Street off the Santa Cruz Mission PlazaCity: Santa Cruz Phone: (831) 425-5849 view all details >>

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